Apparatus for separating solids and liquids and washing or otherwise treating the separated solids.



- J. ERRTGAN APPARATUS 1? 0R- SEPARATING soLms mm LIQUIDS AND WASHING OR OTHERWISE Y TREA ING @EIBSEYARATED soups.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1909. RENEWED AUG. 28, 1912.

Patented May'ZG, 191.3.

2 SHBETEHEBETL Lb m M J. .I. BBRRIGAN, v I APPARATUS-FOB SEPABATING souns AND LIQUIDS m1) WASHING OR OTHERWISE TREATING)? E SEPARATED SOLIDS. APPLIOATION mum 5 In; a, 1909. nmmwm we. 28, 1912. 1,062,216, Patented May .20, 1913.

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JOHN J. BERBIGAN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR' TO FRANCIS J. AREND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN BERNS'IROM, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

ARP AiBATUS FOR SEPARATING- SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS AND WASHING OR OTHERWISE TREATING THE SEPARATE!) SOLIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed March 6, 1908, Serial No.

1909, Serial No. 500,904. Renewed August 28. 1912. Serial No. 717,620.

To all whom 'iZ may concern Be it known that I, JOHN'OJ. BERRIGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and metal Apparatus for Separating Solids and Liquids and Washing or Otherwise Treating the Separated Solids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for separating liquids and solids and washing or otherwise treating the separated solids, through the agency of centrifugal force. This washing or-treating is performed by first separating, by centrifugal action, the greater part of the liquids from the solids, and then passing the resulting solids centrifugally through wall or walls of liquid suitable for washing or otherwise treating the said solids, and finally separating the solids from such washing or treating liquid.

My invention consists in apparatus comprising a primary centrifugal separating device having in connection with it means for forming an annulus or a plurality of annuli of washing or treating liquids, and means for throwing separated solid material centrifugally through such annulus or annnli of washing or treating liquids.

The ol'ijects of my invention are to separate solids from liquids efficiently and to wash or otherwise treat the separated solids, finally treating the solids in such state of dryness as is desired, and to make the apparatus simple, effective, and economical, and

of large capacity.

The accompanying drawings illustrate certain forms of apparatus emimdying my invention.

in said drawings: Figure 1 shows a vertical axial-section of a horizmitul type of machine adapted for carrying out my in- -vention, and Fig. 2 shows a similar section of a vertical type of machine for the same purpose. Fig. 3 shows a detail axial e inn, on a larger scale, of the concentric pas: of the apparatus of Fig. i. The said machines are of the type illustrated in my ap plication Sr. No. 986,193.

horizontal type of machine (which is, in general, the type of machine preferably employed when there are to be a number of separations or washings or dryings,.or where high capacity is desired), 1 designates a separating cylinder or drum having heads 2 and 3 and journals 4 and 5 mounted in drum is mounted for rotation. Both of journals t and 5 are hollow, journa 4 having within it a supply-passage leading from a hopper 8 to a delivery-chute 10 Within the first chamber 11; of drum 1. A suitable c0nveyer 12 serves to convey the mixed solids and'liquids from the hopper to this delivery chute and so to deliver the mixture to be separated into-the first chamber of the ap paratus.

The interiorof drum or chamber 1 is divided into a plurality of chambers, (11, 13, 14 and 15, in the construction shown) by the construction shown), said partitions having in them central openings 20 through which the solid material may be passed from one chamber to another. There may be as many of these partitions, and chainbers in the drum, as the treat-mentof any particular material may require or may seem desirable. In the construction shown, the partitions are conical; that is to say,thcir surfaces are inclined toward the axis of rotation; and to move the solid material toward and up these inclined surfaces I provide conveyors 21, one for each such cham ber, i'nounted on aconveyer shaft 22 passiugtl'lrough the hollow journal 5 of the drum, and arranged to be rotated at a speed different from (and usually less than) the speed of the drum. I have shown belt wheels 23 and 24 for rotating the drum 1 and the conveyor shaft 22 respectively; but any suitable means for rotating said drum and shaft may be employed. The shaft 22 is hollow, and stcrves as means for supplyiug to one or more of the chambers 1.3, 14

2 otherwisetrcfaiing the solid material. Such vReferring first to Fig. 1, illustrating the bearings in standards 6 and 7 whereby the means of partitions (16, 17, 18 and 19, in

and if), as desired, liquid for washing or .provided with regulating valves 27.

liquid is supplied to the shaft by means of pipes 95, and the shaft is provided, within the several chambers 13, 14: and 15, or such of said chambers as itmay be desired to introduce liquid. into, with branch pipes 2o,

Suitable handdioles 28 are provided, through which access may be had to said valves to open or close or regulate them. The final chamber, 15, is provided with a radial disbcrs, ill, each aboutopposite one of the said chambers. 'lbese liquid-collecting chambers are ol diti'ercnt constructlon from the chambers tor the same purpose shown in my above entitled applications, in that they are provided with internal flanges, 32 and Iii-l, tormin5 an inner annular channel 31, to which the only entrance is the. narrow space between the tlaue'es 232 and 32}; and liquid discharge pipes, 35, project from the several chambers 11, 13, 14 and 15 through suclrspace between the flanges 32 and 33 of the eorrespomling chamber ill. so as to discharge liquid into the inner channel 34 of that chamber. This construction etl'ectively precludes escape of the liquid t'rom'these chambers 31 except into the usual discharge pipes 3b with which these chambers 31 are provided. The pipes 35 project within the drum to points beyond the normal level of the annuli of solid material in the drum; but not beyond the normal liquid levels of said annuli; so that practically only liquid escapes into the chambers 31.

The method of operation of this apparatus is as 'l'ollows: The mixture containing .he solid material to be treated is fed from ti. hopper into the lirst chamber ll. of the drum, and forms therein an annuluszot which the solid material (supposing, as is usually the case, that 'the solid material is the heavier) forms an outer layer and the liquid an inner layer. The liquid from this annulus continually escapes through pipe 235 into the lirst chamber ill. The solid material in the annulus continually moved forward by the co-nveycr, toward and up the iil'st conical partition. 16, much. if not practically all, of the liquid separating from the solid material during, the passage of the latter up this partition 16, and flowing back into the annulus in chamber 11. The solid material is forced by the eonveyer through the central oritice in partition 16, and is at once thrown ccntriliugr: lly to the outside of chamber 13, passing through the annulus of liquid in said chan'iber, if there be any there,

and then being carried up the second partition. 17. in like manner, and so on, until beregul'ated as desired or prevented altogether, a wide variation of operations is possible with the same apparatus; For example, it liquid be admitted trom' 'shaftfil into cachet chambers 13, 14 and 15, the solid material will be subjected to three successive washings or other treatment by such liquid in the said chau'ibers, with more or less complett' dryingbetween the several treatments and with a tinal drying during its passage up the last partition, 19, toward the discharge 2:). It liquid is admitted from the hollow shaft to only chambers 1.2% and lit,

.the mate 'ial will be subjected to two successive dryings; and if liquid is-admitted t'ronrsaid shaft only to chamber 13, the material will be subjected to three successive drying's, which will. in most cases. result in the thorough drying of even mostditticult materials. If liquid is admitted from shaft 2; into chambers H and 15 only, the solid material is subjected, in chambers 11 and 13, to two successive scpa 'ations t'rom theliqu'id with which it was mixed initially, followed b treatmeut as above described in chambers It and t5; aml it' liquid is admitted 'lrom sliat'tii into chamber It only, the solid material is subjected to successive separations in chambers ll and 13, followed by treatment in chamber H, and by successive dryings in chambers 14 and 15. Since, as

above stated. the number of these chambers may be increased or decreased as desired, it

is obviously 'possible to subject the solid material to any desired number ot'separm t'ions from the liquid with which it is mixed initially. followed by any desired number of wa hings or other treatment with liquid, and followed again by any desired numbcrof successive dryings.

.lt i s obviously possible to supply dit" t'crent liquids to theqvarious chambers 13, ll and 15; and this i have illustrated in Fig. l, in which I show the shaft 22 as provided with concentric passages 37, 3B, and 3t), communicating through pipes 26 each with a particular chamber of the drum 1.

The vertical form of machine shown in .Fig. sis in principle the same as that shown in Fig. 1: and in general. in machines of this class it is a matter of indifference, theoretically, whether the machine be set to revolve on a-horizontal. inclined, or vertical axis; gravity having little-or no perceptible influence on the rapidly rotating material. ltlechanical consit'lerations usually render the horizontal type of machine preferable,

however, particularly when the drum is to be of lar 'e size or considerable length or is to provi e for a number of successive op erations. In the vertical form of machine shown, I have shown the material to be treated admitted at the top through pipe 40 and the solid material discharged at the' bottom; the liquid being discharged into concentric pans 41. The drum is here rotated by a vertical shaft 2, through which the washing liquid or other liquid is supplied,'as in the horizontal form of machine.

The washing or other action of liquid on solid material obtained by throwing the solid material centrifugally through a wall of liquid, as in this machine, is a particularly effective action, so faras action on the surface of the particles of the solid material is concerned, and has the advantage, for many processes, that contact of the liquid with the solid material is brief at the most. For example, in purifying sugar, the passage of the sugar crystals through the wall of washing liquor suffices to cleanse the crystals instantly of molasses or other lIIIPUI'llLIQS carried by them, while the crystals are in contact with the washing liquor for too brief a time to permit any material solution thereof. As usual in sugar purification, the liquid supplied to the different chambers,

- 13, 14 and 15, may be sugar solutions of differentdegrees of strength and purity. The treatment may be carried on in such manner that while the crystals are thoroughly cleansed, there is practically no breaking of the crystals themselves. The same consider ations which make my said apparatus particularly applicable to sugar purification, also make it particularly applicable to the purification of salt and like substances.

It is obvious that I may so construct theseparator as to combine the features of construction and operation above described with those of an eccentric separator such as shown, for example, in my Patent No. 827,903, dated August 7, 1906. The method of and means for doing so are obvious, and hence I will not particularly describe and illustrate them herein.

If desired, the liquid supplied to chambers 13, 14 and .15, or either of them, may be acid, alkali, cyanid' solution such as used in the extraction of precious metals from their ores, and various other chemically active liquids. And in like manner a great variety of solid materials may be treated by the above process and in the above apparatus I do not in this application claim the process carried out in said apparatus comprising efiecting more or less complete separation of the solid from the liquid by centrifugal action, and then passing the soseparated solid material oentrifugally through a layer of another liquid, as this method is claimed in my application filed March 6, 1908, Sr. No. 419,487, of which this present application is a division.

\Vhat I claim is:- 1. In a centrifugal separator, a rotating drum having its interior divided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, means for supplying material to be treated to one of said chambers, means for conveying the material from one chamber to another successively, and means for supplying liquid to one of said chambers.

In a centrifugal separated, a rotating drum having its interior divided longitudinally into a plurality of chambers, means for supplying material to be treated to one of said chambers, means for conveying the material from one chamber to another successively, means for supplying liquid to one of said chambers, and means for separating such material from such liquid.

3. in a centrifugalseparator, a rotating drum having its interior divided into a plurality of chambers, means for supplying material to be treated to one of said chambers. means for conveying the material from one chamber to anot er successively, means for supplying liquid to one of said chambers,

and means for discharging liquid from certain of said chambers.

4. In a centrifugal separator, a rotating drum having its interior divided into'a plurality of chambers, means for supplying material to betreated to one of said chambers, means for conveying the material from one chamber to another comprising a conveyer having a hollow conveyer shaft, said shaft having a connection to one of said chambers. and means for supplying liquid to said shaft.

In a centrifugal separator, a rotating drum having its interior divided into a plurality of chambers, means for supplying material to be treated to one of said chambers, means for conveying the material from one chamber to another comprising a conveyer having a plurality of liquid passages each commu nicating with one of said chambers. and means for supplying liquid to said passages. t

6. In a centrifugal separator, a rotating drum having its interior divided into a phi rality of chambers, conical partitions between. said chambers, having central openings, means for conveying the material from one chamber to another comprising a conveyer, means for supplying material to be treated to one of said chambers, and means for supplying liquid to another of said chambers.

7. Ina centrifugal separator, a rotating drum having. means therein for the separation of liquidsand solids and having means for the supply of material to it, and a liquid In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

1 JOHN J. BERRIGLXN.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK E. R-AFFMAN,

H. M. MARBLE. 

